Bengaluru: JDS national president, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda created an uneasy situation in the Congress circles through his statement that he is not averse to the idea of projecting West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee as the prime ministerial candidate of the united opposition. The statement has not gone down well with the coalition partner Congress, which wants Rahul Gandhi to become the PM.
Deve Gowda had recently spoken about the need to create a front combining the regional parties so as to keep the BJP away. He had stated that many parties are joining hands in this regard. However, him talking about Banerjee has left the Congress miffed as the latter was hoping to garner better results in the Lok Sabha polls.
A senior party leader informed that as per the agreement, the JDS must support the Congress at the centre. “Gowda is known for his calculations. His interview in Delhi is a pre-arranged one. He is trying to cut Congress into size,” he said.
Interestingly, soon after landing in Bengaluru, HDD announced that the JDS will go alone in the upcoming urban local body election across the state.